Spain's first general strike in 14 years erupted into fires and riots in Barcelona on Wednesday — and the socialist government cheered it on, offering a preview of what leftist economic policy delivers when the bill comes due.
This matters because the same playbook — government inflating costs, crushing the working class, and then weaponizing the resulting misery for electoral gain — is being pushed right here at home.
Workers across Spain walked off the job to protest skyrocketing housing costs that have left ordinary people unable to keep a roof over their heads. The numbers are staggering: Spain's youth council reports average rent runs €1,176 — 99% of a young person's average salary. The country faces a deficit of 750,000 homes, projected to exceed one million by 2028, according to the central bank. The crisis was symbolized by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, whose rent reportedly tripled after seven decades in her Madrid apartment. She died weeks later.
By nightfall, what began as peaceful marches turned violent in Barcelona. Hooded protesters vandalized shops along the Paseo de Gracia, set bonfires and burning tires, launched fireworks at riot police, and torched garbage bins. Organizers claimed 400,000 marched; local police put the number at 55,000. In Madrid, government officials estimated 120,000 turned out despite heavy rain. More than 50 people were arrested across the country, and police used pepper spray on pickets near Madrid's main wholesale market, with at least 13 people seeking medical attention, according to DW.
Here is the part the establishment press soft-pedals: Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government openly endorsed a strike against itself. Sources close to Sánchez's inner circle told DW the strike was
